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Showing posts with the label Indie Midlands

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YNES: Fake What Your Mama Gave Ya [Interview]

on May 24, 2022

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Comic Sans: Just don't mention fonts ... [Interview]

on March 31, 2022

alternative Birmingham Comic Sans indie Indie Midlands interview

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Leo: Doctor

on January 21, 2022

alternative Australia Grrrl Groannn indie Indie Midlands Leo

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11/1/25 - Rosie Gault: Dim lights
29/1/25 - Dictator: Middle of the road (EP)
7/2/25 - Arliston: Disappointment machine (Album)
28/2/25 - Hachiku: The joys of being pure at heart (Album(

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Like many of you reading this, I'm guessing, I’ve been listening to music for most of my life. But I’ve only been listening with the aim of writing and sharing my observations for a couple of years. Over that time, I seem to have unwittingly blundered into developing a sixth sense for music that has that indefinable ingredient which triggers emotion in me. It usually only takes the first few bars of a song for that element to jump out at me. This track, ‘Come Round’, by Leeds-based band BACKSPACE, must have that secret quality; it’s one of those song I pressed play on and within a few seconds had added to my “must write about” list. It starts with an instantly and beautifully infectious bass riff, joined by muted sounded guitars and then drums. The band give this little theme a bit of time to develop and settle in, allowing us to get comfortable with what they’re presenting before they start telling the story proper. This cleverly sets up lovely sense of anticipation – perhaps wi...

YNES: Fake What Your Mama Gave Ya [Interview]

YNES is one of those artists who just personifies indie integrity. If you've never heard her music, it can be a bit hard to pigeon-hole (aptly enough): there are elements of indie rock, alt-pop and all those other good things there - but in the end it really can't be described as anything other than the "YNES sound". The Coventry-based artist's latest single ' Fake What Your Mama Gave Ya ' is typically honest, wittily-hard-hitting, and unwaveringly on message. The song calls out what YNES calls "the struggle of middle-class indie boys who dominate the industry" (we all know who they are). "Not built for a 9 to 5? Good job you don't need one", she sings. This single is also a good example of why, to me, YNES represents the punk ethos in its truest sense - calling out the unjust, unfair and frankly annoying elements of modern society. She also delivers some great song-writing, following the traditions of some of the best socially-c...

King Creosote: Melin Wynt

I started this venture as a way to share how music I enjoy makes me feel, and why I like it. So, naturally, I'll only write about things I love to listen to. One rule I set for myself when I set this up was that I should listen to a song at least five times before writing about it. This has never been a problem because usually this works the other way around: a song, or group of songs, will find its way into my head, and compel me to keep listening to it, sometimes obsessively. Certainly more than five times ... When that happens, I know that I've found a prime candidate to feature here. Although one of my goals is to champion 'new' music (particularly lesser-known artists), that doesn't rule out writing about 'old' music. This is why a lot of my posts so far have been about music which has been around for some time. Some of it has been with me for years and I'm only now getting the chance to share my observations with you. And then some of it has onl...

William The Conqueror: Move On

I woke up this morning with Move On in my head. It's the first track from William the Conqueror's most recent album (Maverick Thinker). This sort of occurrence is usually a good sign of a perfect candidate for the blog, so I had no choice but to follow the guidance of fate. I was tempted to write about the whole album, but having just done an album post yesterday, I thought I'd stick to just a single track, for now (although I've include a link to the whole LP below). But I think I need to put this in some context. As mentioned, this is the opening track (of 10), and what an intro this is - it brings energy and drive immediately, and really sets the scene for what's to come on the rest of the record perfectly. I can also imagine how well this would work as an opener to a live show. William the Conqueror purveys exceptionally good quality bluesy rock, which in some parts turns a bit rootsy, with a Southern US twist. And these guys are from Cornwall. There are influ...

Taylor Swift: The Tortured Poets Department: the Anthology [Album]

This blog focuses on music from smaller, independent artists – but sometimes there are big releases which deserve attention, too. Taylor Swift is an artist who's hard to ignore, and I don't want to ignore her because I've really enjoyed lots of her music in the past. So when 'The Tortured Poets Department' finally dropped last Friday, I found myself writing a track-by-track reaction post. As you'll see, this means a partial departure from my usual Music Observer golden rule: I only write about music I love. (There are countless other reviews of the album; ones I think are particularly worth reading are those on Pitchfork , CLASH and The Guardian .) Part 1 1. Fortnight feat. Post Malone - Great synth vibes, although a bit like 'Last Christmas' (is that necessarily bad though?). I like this chilled way of starting a massive double album like this. With so much ahead, it feels like TS is pacing herself. There's no real chorus or build - an interesting...